


Clear Blue Skies

by natalia_41



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Just the comfort really, Mentions of Blood, Spoilers, a lot of fluff, they just love each other so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:14:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natalia_41/pseuds/natalia_41
Summary: The final battle of Promised Day just ended.After the chaos, the fear and the grueling fight, Riza and Roy finally can take a moment to catch their breaths and revel in being alive and safe in each other's arms.Restrained affection and unspoken feelings ensue.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 11
Kudos: 79





	Clear Blue Skies

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS FROM THE LAST CHAPTERS AHEAD (big ones)!! I don't recommend to read this before finishing the anime or the manga. 
> 
> Thanks to Sara for being my beta reader!! <3
> 
> Enjoy!

“Sir… I think… I think it’s over.” Riza took a deep breath, the relief clear in her voice. “It's finally over.” 

Roy held on to her, still not trusting himself to act on his own. The last thing he knew was that Riza had taken them both aside, next to one of the walls, to disturb as little as possible while Edward Elric tried to bring his brother back. After a long waiting moment, the crowd erupted into cheers.

“Are they back? How is Alphonse? And Fullmetal?” He asked eagerly. He felt responsible for those kids. Despite how much energy and time he spent reprimanding them, he was fond of them. He could understand why they acted like they did, sometimes. He would never admit it outloud but he could find a significant resemblance between Edward and his teenager self.

“They are back, both of them. Alphonse looks famished and very weak, but he is alive. I think he will be ok.” Her joy was contagious, she cared for them as much as he did. He didn’t need to ask her to describe him how he looked without the armour. “He has the same gold hair as Edward. And his eyes are also the same color, but Alphonse’s are softer somehow. Just like their personalities. He is taller than him too.” Riza explained in a sweet voice, full of pride for them. Roy could hear the smile on her lips. “They are both so much alike… As expected, but still surprisingly so. Edward is supporting Alphonse while he greets everyone. He seems perfectly fine. I don't know what he exchanged to bring Alphonse back, but he looks happy. May can’t stop crying yet, but she is doing better now.” 

Everything felt surreal. The remains of the adrenaline from the last fight were leaving his body, allowing his brain to start rationalizing all that had happened. It was even more confusing when he couldn't use his eyes, but thankfully he had his wonderful Lieutenant, who hadn't left his side, to rely on.

She kept transmitting what was happening around them, unprompted. There was no need for her to be so detailed in her descriptions, she had always been a person of few words. She was doing it just for him, to share with him as much as she could, which made Roy cherish it even more. For that, he gave her a soft squeeze on her shoulder in appreciation.

That was the moment he felt the fresh blood through his gloves, soaking her clothes. Her wound must had reopened and, of course, she was keeping that tiny little detail to herself. The Colonel pinched the bridge of his nose, ready to reprimand her for being irresponsible for her health, but the anger didn’t come. He sighed instead. He was too tired. And he was the one keeping her from taking care of herself, anyway. 

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” He answered, sincerely, as he took off his gloves. He wasn't planning on needing them again any time soon. He didn’t bother to hide his worry when he continued speaking. “We should rest now, you are bleeding.” 

He knew how stubborn she could be, it takes one to know one, so he sat on the ground before she could argue and took her down with him. He leaned his back against the wall that he knew was behind them and gathered her into his arms, against his chest, so she could stay upright without making any effort. He then used his gloves to cover her wound and press on it to minimize the bleeding. 

To his surprise, she didn’t resist. She let him guide her and she lay against him when she found a comfortable position. Maybe she also was too tired to put up a fight, or maybe and more likely, she was content with him taking a break too. What a pair they made…

“It’s really not that bad.” She explained calmly. “It’s bleeding just like a scratch. It seems so much worse than it is. May did a great job closing it. I wouldn’t hide something serious from you.”

Roy opened his mouth, ready to object. He had a very extensive and detailed list of great examples of Riza Hawkeye refusing to ask for help, but she noticed his intentions before he could share any piece of his mind.

“I wouldn’t hide something serious from you that I wasn't able to handle by myself, Sir.” She corrected herself with a bit of irritation. She didn't say it outloud, but the _"you are one to talk_ " was clearly implied in her words. 

Roy refrained himself from smiling. He could vividly visualize her rolling her eyes. He still had his arguments against her remark, but kept them to himself. He knew better. 

“What I mean is that I wouldn’t take advantage of you and lie to you because right now you are deprived of sight.” She continued, softer and closer to him. “If it gets worse, we’ll call someone. Now I would very much like to stay here and take a moment to catch our breaths.” 

As if she was daring him to contradict her, she pointedly rested her head against his shoulder. Roy was startled for an instant at the sudden movement before he chuckled. Of course he believed her. She was the person he trusted the most, and after the events of the last days that sentiment had only grown deeper.

“I know you wouldn’t. That’s why you are my precious subordinate.” He replied, suppressing the impulse to lift his hand from her wound to run his fingers through her hair to calm the urge he was feeling. “But you cannot blame me for worrying after everything that has happened lately. I am sorry for asking you to fight with me when you are hurt, Lieutenant.” 

“I made a promise to follow you even into hell if you asked me to, Sir.” He imagined her smiling at him, with that characteristic glint of determination on her eyes. “I have never regretted that decision and I intend to keep my word.”

Roy bit his lower lip. As powerful and honoring those words were, they left him with a feeling of dread. He believed in their cause and he would make the same choices again if he had to, but the memories of Riza covered in blood so close to dying were still very fresh in his mind.

“I never thought hell could be this real.” He confessed, hoarsely. Without any willpower left to keep his composure and hold back anymore, he hugged her as close as he could and tucked her head under his chin. “I almost lost you several times in the last hours, Lieutenant. Please, let me have this…” He pleaded in the lowest whisper.

It was no secret to anyone at this point how much he cared for her. And to Riza least of all.

After a moment, her arms embraced his torso and she hugged him back. With his eyes closed, he focused on her breathing and the firmness of her body. She felt warm against him, warm and safe. He finally took a deep breath and relaxed. 

The risk of something happening to any of them was apparent since they started. It was an issue they had addressed at the very beginning. If the worst happened, the one remaining should carry on with their plan and bring it to completion.

In Roy's mind, if someone were to get killed, it was always him. He was the head of the operation, the public face of their unit and the one moving the pieces. As Colonel, he was responsible for his subordinates and his duty was to protect his people as they protected the ones underneath them. 

After Hughes's death, he had blamed himself for not being able to prevent it. He had felt useless. Hughes carried a deep guilt from Isval too, but he was one of the nicest people he had ever met. He had a wife and a daughter he adored and that loved him back and he was cherished by everyone that had worked with him. He was his best friend. It had been an unfair twist of fate. So very _unfair_.

Havoc's misfortune had been another painful reminder of how powerful their enemies were. He had been there that time, but he hadn't been fast enough and his friend had paid the price. He learnt that he couldn't make the slightest mistake because the consequences were devastating.

He promised himself to be even more careful with the people he cared about. His ambitions and his thirst for a better future were big and he believed they were necessary, but they were _his._ Sure, he understood why his comrades wanted to take part and he couldn't carry through with it by himself alone, but there was no way he was allowing any of them to serve as a sacrifice to the dirty hands of the monsters pulling the strings ever again. He would act smarter. Stronger. Better.

However, not even then had he actually believed Riza could become a casualty. That simply wasn't an option. Hughes had been at Central Command, alone, when it happened. On the contrary, the Lieutenant was always by his side. Every step he took, she was right next to him. And she was a great fighter and a quick thinker. He should have been able to keep her safe regardless of what they faced. And yet… He had almost lost her today. Not only once. _Three_ . _Times._ If he had taken one more minute to find Envy when they attacked her or if Jerso and Zampano hadn't miraculously appeared when she had been caught and used as a hostage to blackmail him to activate the transmutation circle… Damn it, _he_ had forced her to consider shooting him and then herself because he had allowed revenge to cloud his judgement. He felt sick every time he remembered.

“The wound is not bleeding anymore.” Riza's clear voice broke the silence that had surrounded them both, bringing him out from his spiraling thoughts. 

He realized then he had been caressing her back with the tip of his fingers. He shouldn't have been doing that, but he didn't stop himself.

Slowly, she half-raised. She took away his other hand from her shoulder and removed the stained gloves. He assumed she then put them away inside of one of her pockets, safe from anyone with malicious intentions. For an instant, he didn't know what to do with his suddenly free arm but there was no need for him to ponder about it as he soon felt Riza's hands grabbing his before going back to rest herself against his body. 

“When we were in the underground, Envy tried to impersonate you before you found us, but they failed. Do you want to know how I realized it wasn't you, Sir?” She asked while drawing little nothings on his palm, in a calming and grounding way.

He hummed in affirmation, still churning about his regrets but also genuinely curious. The homunculus couldn't deceive him with their impersonations of Hughes and Gracia. As cruel and realistic as they were, there wasn't any possibility of them being there. It was a poorly executed disguise. But if they had taken the form of Riza… He wasn't so sure of himself anymore.

“They wanted me to stay with them and help them find _"Envy"_. That alone was suspicious. The real Colonel would have at least argued to have me down there, when we had no knowledge of the grounds and we were against a strong enemy such as them. Even more so after explicitly ordering me to stay behind as he never cares about making my job as his bodyguard and my duty to keep him in check much more difficult.”

Roy breathed out a bitter chuckle. Of course he would. 

“Because the real Colonel would never want me, or any of his subordinates, to be in a dangerous situation we don't have under control.” She added, matter-of-factly.

Ah, so this was it. He may have been thinking louder than he realised and she was trying to make him feel better instead of the other way around. He didn't agree, but he didn't stop her. He felt too weak to refuse her and it was working. He couldn't see her face, but hearing her voice always made him feel better too.

“Honestly, I expected better. I had to be sure if it really was you or not, so I thought about things only the real you would know and I tricked them back.” She continued, conversationally, after he didn't reply. She wasn't a quitter.

“What did you say to them?” He conceded, slightly amused. She had sounded so _smug_ about it… It was endearing. 

“Well…” She took her time, pausing tentatively. Roy's intrigue grew. 

“I told them that when we are alone you call me Riza.” 

“But I don't... We don't do that.” He muttered. She had caught him off guard.

There were a lot of boundaries he had established around her to keep his feelings at bay and not letting them interfere with their work. Addressing her with such familiarity was one of them. It was something he hadn't done since he was an apprentice at the Hawkeye household. Of course, she was aware of it.

“I was hoping they didn't know that fact and that they believed we had a closer relationship. They fell for it. They thought they had made a huge mistake and then revealed themselves.” She explained, nonchalantly, as if entertaining herself by playing with his fingers was much more interesting than the way she was tiptoeing over the limits of their relationship. “Maybe you should do some explaining to Beatrice, Marion and all these women you hang out with, in case they also have made the same unfounded assumptions just because you are weak to women in uniform, _Sir_.”

Roy felt himself smiling and held his laughter at that reply, ignoring the warm feeling expanding inside his chest. The women she mentioned worked for his aunt and the only reason he met with them was to exchange information about the higher ups that frequented Madame Christmas’s hostess bar.

Riza knew that and her words had carried a particular intention to them. 

She was _teasing_ him.

It was one thing for him to taunt her whenever any sign of affection slipped from her, especially around other people. He couldn't help it. It was his guilty pleasure, his way of not letting it get into his head but also fishing for more. The only down side was having his ass handed to him by his smart subordinate from time to time. Still, it was worth it.

But for her to initiate it? That was _gold_.

He tried to imagine her face at that moment. Was she looking at him or was she avoiding him? Was her expression humorous, daring or was she nervous? Could she be _blushing_? A blushing Riza Hawkeye would certainly be a sight, although a very unlikely one. He hoped for it anyway.

It was really tempting to continue with the banter and tease her back, but when they were alone it was different. He didn't have a stupid womanizer façade to maintain, just his stupid self. And sometimes he did stupid things when he was tired and his feelings were raw. Stupid things like thinking about where he would take her to dinner to celebrate, what she would wear, how it would feel to kiss her...

Anyway, there was no point in winding her up without seeing her glaring at him or biting the inside of her cheek to hold her smile if he was lucky. 

He froze when realization hit him.

He was never going to see Riza's face again. No more of her silhouette, her eyes, her hair, or her smile.

Or Havoc. Or Falman. Or Fuery. Or Breda. The Elric brothers. Black Hayate. His home. The office. The landscape through the train's window. The stars at night. The city streets. His reflection. His books. His reports. His alchemy. 

No more of nothing. He was _blind_. All that awaited him in the future was a void of complete darkness. 

How was he going to be able to do anything now? This was _his life_. He didn't have anything else and what little he had had been ripped away from him along with his sight. He was never going to see their dream of reconstructing Ishval come true. He had never wanted to perform human transmutation, he had been ready to let Riza just to avoid it, and in the end it had happened anyway. 

He really must deserve it for being ambitious beyond his possibilities, didn't he?

He felt his eyes watering.

“Sharp as always, Lieutenant. I never expected less.” He complimented her, trying to hide the hollow pit of desperation that was growing inside of him. “Although I cannot conceive where Envy or anyone would get that idea from, when you are so harsh to me all the time.”

He had tried, but his voice had sounded lifeless even to him. There was no way Riza was buying it. He felt selfish for giving in to self pity, especially in front of her, whose life had brought her too much undeserved suffering. And yet she had never given up on trying to make the world a better place.

She stayed silent, probably staring at him with an expression full of pity. He couldn't see it but he could feel it. He wished to stand and leave, to be somewhere else, alone until he composed himself, but he couldn't. He had no choice but to rely on her or on their unit to do anything from now on. He was condemned to be a burden.

The tickling on the palm of his hand stopped and Roy considered pulling it away. Before he could, Riza's fingers intertwined with his own, securing her hold on him. It was a simple gesture, yet full of meaning. 

He turned his head to hide a stray tear rolling down his cheek.

The conversations about their relationship had been scarce along the years and the topic was never treated openly. It was… _complicated,_ to say the least. They had known each other since they were teens. They had shared half of their lives, the good and the bad. He was the man he was today only because of her, literally. She had trusted him with the knowledge of her father's completed work about fire alchemy, she inspired him everyday to work towards their plan and she kept him on the righteous path. He couldn't pinpoint the moment she had become so important to him, it just happened. Once he had realized the nature of his feelings, he never tried to fight them, as he knew it would be futile, and he had never denied them either. He just... never acted on them. He had a lot of major reasons not to. The most obvious one was that if they were to start a relationship, they wouldn't be allowed to work together, which by itself was reason enough to discard the idea.

There were many things left unsaid, lots of words he had forbidden himself to use to not dwell on them, yet he knew that his feelings were reciprocated and that they were both on the same page. There was no need to explain anything. 

For that reason, he was certain that if he was hurting, Riza would be too. He would be if the roles were reversed. He knew she was not going to leave him, although he desired better for her. He didn't want to give her any more bad memories. And at the same time, he was beyond grateful for her presence. She was brilliant, loyal and dedicated. She would help him in whatever he needed until he could act on his own again, no questions asked, like they had just done on the battlefield. She was his ray of hope and he respected her and needed her too much to push her away if she chose to stay despite how much he opposed it.

He didn't have the words or the self control to tell her all that was going through his head without crumbling, so he didn't. Instead, he brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed hers, gently but purposefully, hoping it was enough to convey his thoughts without breaking too many more of their unspoken rules. 

“Colonel…” Riza stopped herself with a deep sigh before she even started and whatever she was about to say died before leaving her mouth. If it was anything close to what Roy was biting his tongue for, it probably was for the best. 

She tried again in a low murmur, measuring her words. She sounded painfully vulnerable.

“After the transmutation circle activated, the floor swallowed you down. I didn't know where they took you or how you were. I couldn't get to you. The uncertainty until all of you came back up was awful.” 

Roy was looking for the best way to comfort her when, suddenly, he felt the feather light caress of her other hand on his cheek, directing his head downwards until their foreheads were touching. 

“I'm sorry for what they've done to you, but I'm so glad you are here with me again.” She whispered, cupping his cheek. 

With a soft exhale, he leaned into her touch. His lips brushed her palm, almost kissing it. They were so close he could smell the burnt scent from the fight on her skin. Temptation came for him. It would be so easy to bend forward just a little bit more and… but he wouldn't. The rational part of his mind was awake enough to remind him that it was less painful to dream about what he couldn't have than taste it and spend the rest of his days craving more.

“I am too, although I really wish I could look into your eyes right now.” He whispered back. It felt wrong to have her so close and do nothing about it, so he opted for rubbing his nose with hers, in the most tender way possible. It wasn't even close to what his heart truly wanted but, at least for now, it had to be enough. 

Eventually, once they had soaked in each other's presence, they pulled apart. That moment couldn't last forever despite how much they wanted it too. A renewed calm had settled in him while Riza repositioned herself again against his shoulder, her hair tickling his jaw. He indulged himself a little more by laying his head on top of hers.

“Alphonse is now hugging his father. Edward doesn't let go of him, but he's not joining them. He seems really pissed about it.” Riza resumed her narration of what she could see, soothingly, still holding his hand. “Major General Armstrong has arrived and she is thanking personally each and every one of her men from Briggs. I like her, that's a very nice gesture. I cannot find Falman, Breda or Fuery but they must be on their way here. Ambulances and radio correspondents are also entering the grounds.”

“I can hear the sirens. We should go find a doctor to take a look at your wound and give us a check up.” He replied, ignoring the aching feeling that appeared just by the thought of letting go of her.

“No, wait. We can't leave yet. I haven't told you about the best part.” She protested in earnest.

“What is it?” He was easily convinced, as it meant they would stay in each other's arms a little longer. He had no idea of what she could be referring to.

“It's the sky, Sir.” She answered, reverently. “Can you feel it? On your skin? The sun is shining high and bright.”

Roy closed his eyes and extended his neck, turning his head up, as his instinct told him too. It was an unusual answer, but something in her tone made it seem it was important so he paid attention.

“I know you might be thinking that a long rainy season is coming, but there is not a single cloud, not even the smallest one.”

Another wave of emotions washed over him the moment he understood the underlying meaning of that sentence. He had used similar words once, at a time when he had felt hopeless and defeated. He couldn't use his abilities in the rain. Raining meant he was useless. 

“It's all so blue…” Her voice quivered, but that didn’t stop her. “As far as my eyes can see, that's all there is. Clear, immaculate, blue skies. No chances of raining any time soon.”

She still believed in him. He tightened his embrace, silently praying she was not going to cry, not for him. He would not be able to handle it. Her beautiful declaration was already too much to bear. 

He could picture it. The perfect tone of blue. A sky so clear it seemed limitless.

The hardest part was already done. As Riza had said before, it was over. The country was safe, the government overthrown. They had managed to make it this far. 

It had not been easy, quite the opposite, but it was not a dream anymore. This was real. They could reconstruct their society using democracy as its foundation. They could restore Ishval and start giving back all that had been taken away from its people. They could start working on amending their sins. Although nothing would ever be enough to repair the damage they caused, they could make sure the best effort was put on to it.

She was right. He could feel it on his face, the tickling warmth of the sunlight bathing them.

Maybe he hadn’t lost everything. With their team, together as a whole, he could study about Ishval's culture, economy and politics. He could do research and collect information about what they needed to know to put their ideas into action. He could handle the negotiations and the meetings that were necessary to pull their strategies through. 

He still was a piece standing on the chessboard. The game wasn't over, he got some more moves yet to make. He couldn't give up so soon.

Riza and their team would take him where he needed. They were a unit after all, a powerful one.

His lips stretched into a smile, directed at the sky. What would be of him without Riza? Once again she had found the perfect thing to say to him so that he didn’t lose himself. She was the best thing that had and could ever happen to him. He would make sure not a single day passed without her knowing that from now on.

Fueled by a new sense of pride and determination, he raised from the ground. He carefully helped Riza to her feet, conscious of her injury, and he positioned himself so he was in front of her, only a few inches apart. 

“Yours is the most accurate vision in Amestris, Lieutenant Hawkeye. Your aim never fails. If that's what you see, then that's all there is.” He replied fervently and, slowly, lifted his hand towards her. He wanted to check on something but he waited until she gave him her permission.

She stood still while the tips of his fingers traveled around her face, delicately. Her fringe was all over the place, it was just natural he gave in to the need to push it out of her eyes. Dust and dirt covered her temple and cheekbone, but he could not find any sign of tears there. Good. He kept going down, over soft skin and full cheeks, and reached her mouth. He followed the line of her lips, where he found what he was looking for.

A wide beautiful smile that mirrored his own. 

“I'll go wherever you point me to.” He added sincerely, full of sentiment and devotion, and he gave her a final tender caress with the back of his hand that went all the way down her slender neck before finally lowering his arm. 

That was probably the last time he was going to be so physically affectionate with her, at least for a long time, but the emptiness he expected didn't come. What they had was so much more than that and now he had a lot of memories to treasure and to replay in his mind when the distance became hard to bear.

“Let's go find a doctor, Lieutenant. The sooner we recover, the sooner we can go back to work. We have a lot to do.”

“Of course, Sir.”

Riza held his arm and led the way. Roy followed, ever trusting her solid presence by his side.

They had a whole bright future waiting for them to face it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry, I'm sorry they didn't kiss!! I wanted them to but I don't think they would have if that put everything else at risk... In my mind they get together some time after that, when they have some work on Ishval done, Gruman takes the place as Führer and the rules in the army start to change. They have yet to learn how to allow themselves to be happy.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this, I hope you like it!!  
> Kudos and comments are welcome, I could talk about this two for hours!


End file.
